Thursday, September 1, 2011

Welcome to Jordan!

When Matthew and I saw our dear friends, Rob and Shini, standing at the Lion's Gate in Jerusalem, I had to choke back tears because I was so happy to see them! They were also accompanied by another Colorado friend, Paige. Our last few days in Israel were spent with our friends, exploring the Holy Sites in Jerusalem, eating at a restaurant that was recommended as "the best hummus in Israel," and just enjoying time together.

The five of us traveled together to cross the border into Jordan. It was crazy because both the shuttle and the bus were in minor accidents right before our eyes immediately before we boarded them! In Jordan, we stayed at a house in Amman with another friend of theirs named Erin. Rob, Shini, Paige, Erin, Matthew, and I had a great time traveling to Petra for a few days together. Seeing Petra was amazing! The beautiful rock carvings are over 2,000 years old and one of the Modern Wonders of the World (one scene from Indiana Jones was also filmed there if that helps it ring a bell for anyone!). Here are some pictures and a short video to show how big the carvings are:

I was also struck by how incredibly nice everyone in Jordan is. They are probably the nicest people group of our trip thusfar. We heard the phrase, "Welcome to Jordan" many many times in our few days there. In Jerusalem and Jordan, several people enthusiastically asked us if we are Indian and often threw out Hindi phrases and told us how much they like India. As you walk through Petra, you get bombarded by Bedouin children offering to sell postcards using cute phrases like: "Special price for you," "Buy one get one free," and my personal favorite, "Happy hour price!" There are also many men offering horse, camel, and donkey rides.

Shini and I were walking through Petra one day when a young man approached asking if we were Indian and then asked if I was Shini's daughter (which cracked us up because we are more like sisters - there's no way she could be my mom!). Then, he proceeded to offer her 200 camels and 1 chicken for me! We told him I was already married and pointed toward Matthew, which we thought would deter his efforts, but he looked at Matthew and said, "Ok, I will go ask him!"

The six of us also experienced a Turkish bath together which was quite memorable and gave us many laughs after the portion of the experience called “the scrubbing”! Rob and Shini are some of the most wonderful people we have ever met and it was a blessing to have such a sweet time together. We also loved getting to know their friends, Erin & Paige. Erin has lived in India for the last three years and is a super fun person to be around! Paige is a Journalism student in Colorado. She has a really sweet spirit and is always smiling! It's great to be able to explore the world and experience various cultures, but to me, the real treasure is in the relationships that are established. One of the biggest lessons Matthew and I have been learning is the idea that the very thing that makes life worth living is our relationships. That’s why you will often hear us saying, “It’s all about relationships!”

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About Me

Matthew and Moni are currently taking a trip around the world, visiting 20 countries.
Many of our friends and family asked us, “Are you crazy?” when we told them about our trip. Well, the answer to that question is undoubtedly “YES!” We are crazy…but not in the way one might think. We are crazy about this adventure called life, we are crazy about seeking the One who is leading us on this adventure, we are crazy about meeting new people and having new experiences together, we are crazy about learning to love well and love deeply, and we are crazy about giving all we are and all we have in response to Him who has given us everything. Yes, we are crazy.